J. Meric/Getty ImagesBrett Gardner, above, 'has caused a lot of havoc for other clubs,' says Yankees manager Joe Girardi.OAKLAND, Calif. — Brett Gardner has been battling with his swing since the earliest days of spring training. The regular season has brought no relief from those struggles. In his first 40 plate appearances, Gardner has seldom made solid contact.

Only four of the balls he’s put in play could be categorized as liners. His line-drive rate — a paltry 13.8 percent — ranks as one of the lowest on the team.

Yet, Gardner awoke this morning as the owner of a .303 batting average and a .410 on-base percentage.

“You get lucky sometimes,” Gardner said. “That’s how this game is.”

The timing couldn’t be better for Gardner, who has also used his speed to make some of his own luck.

At this time last season, Gardner was trying to maintain his tenuous grip on the Yankees’ starting center fielder job, which he earned after enjoying a strong spring. He eventually lost the job, his batting average mired at .220 toward the end of April, when Yankees manager Girardi gave the spot to Melky Cabrera.

By contrast, Gardner’s start this season may lead to him toward expanding his role.

Gardner emerged from spring in what was essentially a left-field platoon with Marcus Thames, the right-hander acquired in the offseason specifically for his track record of success against lefties.

Through the Yankees' first four encounters with left-handed starters, the platoon unfolded according to plan, with Thames getting the nod. But when the Yankees faced left-hander Gio Gonzalez on Tuesday night, Girardi turned to Gardner. And Girardi said Gardner could be in the lineup against A’s left-hander Dallas Braden Thursday.

“We like what he’s doing a lot,” Girardi said. “He’s caused a lot of havoc for other clubs.”

Indeed, Gardner has made the most of his time on the basepaths. He’s stolen seven bases in eight tries, and has been enough of a pest with his speed that Rangers manager Ron Washington compared him last week to Ichiro.

But how he’s reached base to do his damage has been, at least in part, a function of luck.

Of his 10 hits this season, two were clean, opposite-field line drives that landed in front of the left fielder. Two more were grounders poked through the hole on the left side of the infield. But one was a sliced soft liner that was hit so softly that the runner on second, Jorge Posada, couldn’t advance. Another was a grounder trickled up the middle.

The remaining four hits — poorly hit balls that Gardner beat out with his legs — never even left the infield dirt.

Gardner entered Saturday’s game hitting just .217. But after three infield hits, in which he never made solid contact, that figured ballooned to .296.

Girardi attributed Gardner’s success to his speed.

“If he was slower, you might call them breaks,” Girardi said. “It can be part of his game, that sort of thing. Now, if I had five infield hits in three days, you might say I’m lucky. For Gardy, that’s who he is. He can play that game.”

Of course, Gardner also picked up two hit on plays that could have easily been scored errors.

Nevertheless, whether or not he’s benefited from luck, Gardner’s not worried about how he’s reached base. His concern rests only with keeping the trend going.

“Anytime you can get a hit, whether it be a swinging bunt, or a blooper, or cause a guy to make an error to get on base, the key thing is to get on base and score runs,” Gardner said. “Any way you can do that, you’ve got to be happy about it.”Marc Carig may be reached at mcarig@starledger.com